The electrical systems of motor vehicles of all types are becoming increasingly complex. Generally, motor vehicles are provided with a wiring harness which is a prefabricated bundle of wires having appropriate terminals for interconnection of the appropriate electrical components and systems of the vehicle. Often, a wiring harness, or a portion thereof, must pass through a vehicle bulkhead, including firewalls, acoustical barriers-panels, pressure resistant walls and the like. Generally, it has been found most advantageous to utilize multiple terminal connectors to convey a number of electrical terminal connectors through such bulkheads. Additionally, multiple terminal connectors are employed in other situations, both vehicular and non-vehicular, where very large numbers of electrical terminals must be reversibly interconnected.
It is necessary that any multiple terminal electrical connector provide for the rapid, accurate, reversible and reliable interconnection of the appropriate wire pairs. Generally, most multiple terminal connectors comprise a pair of mutable base members, each having one or more of the appropriate terminals retained therein. The base members maintain the terminals in the appropriate orientation and allow for ready connection and disconnection thereof. In most vehicular applications, it is further desirable that the connectors provide for environmentally sealed interconnection of the terminals so as to prevent failures due to moisture or corrosion. It is additionally desirable that the connectors be immune to loosening from vibration or other mechanical impact.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,336, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, teaches a multiple terminal connector assembly comprising a male and female connector, each connector including a plurality of sockets for receiving electrical terminal members and each further including a wedge member for locking the terminals into the sockets. The connector assembly described in the '336 patent further includes a particularly configured sealing gasket associated with one of the connectors and a flange associated with the other of the connectors, the gasket and flange being operable to create a vertical seal which limits passage of moisture therepast. The connector assembly further includes a locking bolt for affixing the two connectors in mated engagement and an elastomeric seal extending along at least a portion of the length of the bolt.
In the '336 patent, the connector pair of the assembly each includes the same number of terminals. However, in particular applications, for example the heavy truck market, there is often the need to couple a number of smaller, multi-terminal electrical connectors into a single, larger mating connector. For example, a heavy truck may include a number of separate wiring harnesses for the vehicular operating system, the sleeper cab, the trailer lights, and the like. The specific type of harnesses used on a particular truck model will depend upon the basic configuration of the truck, as well as the particular options elected for that particular model; thus, actual harness configurations vary greatly from vehicle to vehicle.
It is generally desirable to minimize the inventory of parts needed by a manufacturer. In furtherance of that goal, it is most efficient to keep the engine side terminal connector constant, and to plug a number of separate, multi-terminal harnesses into that basic connector. It is further desirable that all the connections be stable under conditions of vibration, salt spray, and the like, and that they be capable of being rapidly and reliably coupled and uncoupled.
Thus, it would be highly desirable to have a multi-terminal connector assembly wherein a plurality of separate, multi-terminal harness connectors may be plugged into a single, basic engine side connector. It would be especially desirable if such a connector assembly were environmentally sealed from the ambient, operating environment of the vehicle.